Filenews 21 February 2026
The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a significant part of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump after his return to the White House were illegal, breaking a key pillar of his economic program.
The US president then announced that he had signed a decree imposing a new global tariff of 10%, which will take effect on February 24 for a period of 150 days.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) gives an account of the consequences.
Compensations
The US Supreme Court's verdict effectively nullifies the so-called "retaliatory" tariffs, which had been imposed on almost all products imported into the US. However, the decision does not affect tariffs imposed on certain sectors – such as cars, steel and aluminium or pharmaceuticals.
According to EY-Parthenon chief economist Gregory Daco, the immediate consequence will be a reduction in the average rate applied to imported goods, which is expected to fall from 16.8% to about 9.5%.
Another consequence is that companies that paid these duties can claim compensation. Some of them had already predicted the development, appealing.
While it remains difficult to determine the exact amount, economists estimate that the revenue generated by these reciprocal tariffs will range between $130 billion and $140 billion in 2025.
In mid-January, Donald Trump attempted to paint a bleak picture, talking about "hundreds of billions of dollars" in damages in the event of an unfavourable Supreme Court decision. Yesterday Friday, the US president estimated that this will be judged by the judiciary.
The Democratic governor of Illinois has already asked for a refund of $1.700 per household, based on estimates by Yale University. The Democratic governor of California stressed for his part that he believes the government should compensate consumers.
Negotiations
Beyond the immediate consequences, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision may affect the U.S. government's ability to conclude trade agreements with its partners – whose willingness to reduce the level of tariffs played a key role in opening negotiations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently admitted that an unfavourable Supreme Court ruling could deprive the government of the "flexibility" offered by using tariffs as bargaining chips.
The White House told AFP that countries that have signed agreements are now also subject to the additional 10% tariff imposed by President Trump.
Alternatives to the U.S. government
The decree signed by Donald Trump is based on a 1974 trade law, which allows the president to balance transactions between the US and its partners when a significant imbalance in the balance of payments is found.
However, there is a disadvantage that this law provides this possibility to the US president for a period of up to 150 days. The government will then have to secure approval from Congress if it wants to keep the measure.
The most obvious solution for the government would be to submit a bill to Congress for a vote that would allow it to reinstate tariffs.
But this could prove time-consuming and difficult to achieve, especially with the midterm elections looming and some Republicans expressing reservations about President Trump's extensive use of tariffs.
